Biosensors & Bioelectronics

Survival Analysis of Under-Five Mortality of Children and its Associated Risk Factors in Ethiopia

Abstract

Getachew Y and Bekele S*

Child mortality is a factor that is associated with the well-being of a population and it is taken as an indicator of health development and socio economic status. A 2013 report on child mortality states that about three-quarters of all child deaths happened in two regions Africa (46%) and South-East Asia (28%). More than 50% of these deaths were clustered in only six countries: China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. Under-five mortality is higher in rural areas and among poorer and less educated communities (MDG 2013). The Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data are used for the study. In this study we have attempted to find out the impact of socioeconomic, demographic, environmental, health related and nutritional factors in under- five mortality of child. In this attempt, we first analyzed our data using Kaplan-Meier non-parametric method of estimation of survival function and compared the survival time of different categories of region and other covariates that influence the child survival. Also we had used Cox proportional hazard model and Staratifed Cox proportional model to compare the hazard of under-five mortality of child for different covariates comparison to the reference categories and the potential covariates which influence under five mortality are found region, mothers’ education level, sex, mothers age at first birth, preceding birth interval, contraceptive use, breast feeding, place of delivery, Number of antenatal visits during pregnancy and father occupation are a vital factors for the deaths occurring under the age of five of child. The study recommends that Under-five mortality of child among regions is significant. This is an indication that the risk of U5CD varies from one region to another. Thus, in order to have a bearing on policy recommendations, future studies should focus on identifying risk factors of U5CD for each region of Ethiopia separately in high mortality area.